Dr. Richard McNamara, cardiologist at Spectrum Health’s Meijer Heart Center in Grand Rapids, talks to a patient about his heart catheterization. Dr. McNamara also sees patients at the Spectrum Health' Gerber Memorial Hospital in Fremont. Spectrum has proposed a $6.3 million expansion and renovation project that would make major upgrades to its emergency department. MLive File Photo

FREMONT, MI — Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Hospital in Fremont has proposed a $6.3
million expansion and remodeling project
that the public will be invited to comment about on Monday.

The
Spectrum Health facility seeks to expand its emergency department and renovate
its front lobby.

The
emergency department upgrade would include about 11,000 square feet of additional space including
a basement, a patient drop-off area and a lobby
that would be separate from the main hospital lobby.

Alliance for Health, a community health coalition, will hold a public hearing for
the proposal — in addition to a proposal for a $4.9 million Big Rapids Hospital
project — on Feb. 11 at Coopers Landing in Grand Rapids.

The Michigan Department of
Community Health must issue Certificates of Need for each project before the proposals can move forward. Alliance for Health will
consider comments received at the public hearing for an evaluation and recommendation
that it will submit to state authorities.

Spectrum officials contend that the new design would facilitate increased visibility of two large trauma rooms and 18
treatment rooms that would provide "increased efficiency, safety
and quality for both patients and staff."

Spectrum Health also stated that because the current lobby is the only entry for the entire
facility, the new lobby would segregate different patients, alleviating privacy concerns and reducing confusion among patients.

Officials would hire additional staff due to the anticipated
surge in emergency department visitors. The
proposal would leave the current emergency department empty, allowing it to be used for expansion of diagnostic
imaging in the future.

The
hospital will pay $4.2 million out of the $6.3 million total cost. The remaining $2.1 million would come from donors.

Mecosta County Medical Center's $4.9 million proposal, which would be entirely paid
for with its restricted funds, seeks to remodel and expand the Big Rapids
facility's third floor medical-surgical area.

It would include an additional
coronary care unit and support areas for both the coronary care unit and the medical-surgical
units. The proposal also seeks to convert semi-private rooms to private rooms.

The
project would include 7,000 square feet of new construction and 11,000 square feet
of renovation.

Alliance for Health requests that each commenter provide a written copy of their testimony.
Anyone unable to attend may submit written comments to Alliance for Health
offices by Feb. 11.

The
hearing will take place at 2 p.m. in the Second Floor Conference Room at Coopers
Landing, 1345 Monroe Avenue NW in Grand Rapids.

An earlier version of this story featured an incorrect
cutline accompanying the photograph. It misidentified the location of Spectrum
Health's heart center, which is in Grand Rapids. The health system does not
have a heart center at its Fremont location.